


I Will Not Fail (Again)

by bitterleaf



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Handplates, Papyrus as Cameo, Past Character Death, zarla-s
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-25
Updated: 2017-03-25
Packaged: 2018-10-10 12:28:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10437756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitterleaf/pseuds/bitterleaf
Summary: "Is that true what the royal guards say?""My my, you're always straight to the point, aren't you?""This is an opportunity." He signs. Ignoring the comment. "Your Majesty. We can use it to break the barrier. We can use it for experiment and scientific purposes. We can finally know what makes it's SOU-"Asgore stopping him with a sign. "Now, Gaster. I'm sure you're not missing the fact that they are my child. You do not speak of my child like that."





	

**Author's Note:**

> Handplates AU was originally created by Zarla, (zarla.deviantart.com or zarla-s.tumblr.com)
> 
> Gaster followers make a lil cameo here. Ficus for a monster similar to a Ficus Licker, and Sprout that giant sprouting head. Yes, i am lazy but it's also easy to remember.

Home were always a crowded place. But when Gaster, The Royal Scientist walks, monsters on the streets make a way for him. His face was cold, calculating. He march on with hurried steps, leaving wavy trail of his lab coat. His hollow eyesocket as blank as the void itself, making his expression unreadable.

The monsters always holding him in a high regard, even if he wears white, long lab coat _while walking on the streets_. He forgot to take it off. But they were oblivious about this silly mistake of him, too blinded by admiration, so he decided to keep going. Beside, this call as urgent situation.

There's some royal guard standing around the looming house. Biggest, neatest, prettiest house in the Home. Gaster didn't have to go inside that house. The King is standing outside, enjoying the afternoon by admiring a tree with falling crimson red leaves.

 **"Your Majesty."** His voice is flat and toneless, but his unknown language has made it sounds more ominous and chilling. Semi-transparent magic hands materialize itself out of empty air. Signing as he speak.

Asgore did not face him instantly. He stretched his paw to catch a few blood-red leaves falling from the bare tree. Asgore did not even stop his humming for a while before he suddenly speaks. "Nice day today, my friend."

_"Is that true what the royal guards say?"_

"My my, you're always straight to the point, aren't you?"

 _"This is an opportunity."_ He signs. Ignoring the comment. _"Your Majesty. We can use it to break the barrier. We can use it for experiment and scientific purposes. We can finally know what makes it's SOU-_ "

Asgore stopping him with a sign. "Now, Gaster. I'm sure you're not missing the fact that they are _my child_. You do not speak of my child like that."

Gaster froze a moment under Asgore's glare. _"It-they are dangerous, your majesty."_

"You haven't seen them yet, Gaster." He chuckles calmly.

_"But they are human."_

"And a child." He said.

 _"That human child could be dangerous! we should just..."_ He's muttering the remaining words to himself with his own language. He did not dare to sign the word directly to his own King. But by the way Asgore look at him it was clear that Asgore know what the word was.

"My friend, are you implying that we should _kill_ this poor, innocent, youth? My own child?"

 _"That kid is human."_ Gaster sign hurriedly. _"What i mean is the kid is having both potential... of good, but also the potential of bad."_

"We all have both potential of good and bad, my friend." Asgore said calmly. "We all make choices"

It was clear that Asgore won't change his mind.

_"...okay but what if we keep them inside a cage instead with the royal guar-"_

"Gaster." Asgore giving him a look.

Gaster secretly makes a sigh. Asgore sigh more clearly.

"Beside, it was my son who found the human and bring him home. It was my son who took care of the human and demand us to do so. If we follow your plan, my dear friend, can you imagine how horrified my son would be?"

Ah, so that's why.

 _"I understand, your majesty."_ Not really, but it was also Royal Scientist's job to understand any illogical decision of his king. _"I will not bring this matter anymore."_

Since then, the human become a part of the royal family.

 

...  
It was surprising that the last few months, monsters have been very quickly and succesfully clearing new areas. They name the areas as Snowdin, Waterfall, Hotlands and currently keep opening the land further to build a new home, leaving the old one as a Ruins. It was also surprising that the fallen child have been living with the Royal Family peacefully all this time.

Gaster wasn't feeling peaceful at those peaceful times. Because the king moves from place to place and royal scientists should follow them too, it's always hard to continue his work everytime they move into a new home. After every unpacking, some machine parts or tools is always missing, or scrambled, or broken. It almost drive him insane.

He tried real hard to hide his frustration and tiredness from the king and the queen, but they always noticed. As a result, they keep inviting him to drink tea or dinner. He meet their kids as often as their parents. He get really used at the sight of the two children, slowly started to accept the human child.

Both kids are very cute, charming, but intelligent. They share great resemblance to their parents.

Asriel was cheerful and friendly, a small copy of his father. He likes to playing around, jumping and running everywhere. He may look brave and will chatter constantly about magic powers and stuff but sometimes, he really quick to cry. He does not fond of this, but both of their parent know he just have a soft heart, something that will ensure the bright future of the monster the day he become the king.

The human is so small, just barely taller than Asriel. They smile is so wide and bright. Their cheek slightly reddish, looks like two plum. Their eyes brownish-reddish color, bright and filled with hope. They did not speak as much as Asriel, and they soft-spoken, with the mannerism they clearly copied from Toriel. The human appears often very shy to new strangers, hiding their face often, but their parents said he actually very creative and a determined child.

Yes those two children is different but because of it, they seemingly complete each other.

 

...  
Gaster walks hurriedly after a meeting with the Royal Family. Eureka moments flashing, filling his thoughts with racing ideas about improving his new project. A weapon to break the barrier, powered by artificial soul. Currently he have a machine but it's not ready and not powered by an artificial soul. So, he thinks, if he can isolate the magic from a monster body instead than Waterfall's crystals, it might wor--

"Uncle Gaster!"

Gaster stopped. He slowly turned his back. His usual stoic expression formed to a twitching smile. It's not that he don't actually want to smile. He was so not used for cheery expressions. But one is always found himself smiling in the presence of the young, innocent, cheerful prince. He have the same charm as his father.

Asriel smiling wide with his fluffy-puffy cheeks and tiny, juvenile fangs. "I hevv-a present for you!"

 _"My, my,"_ His ominous voice is genuinely happy, but Asriel didn't notice the tone as he concentrated real hard to interpret the magic hands, signing slowly for the young prince. Not by word, but letter by letter. The young prince is still learning sign language. He understand lot of signs already, but Gaster don't want to make this too difficult for him. _"What's the occasion?"_

"You looks really gloom all the time, so i think we should give you presents to make you smile!" Said the young prince cheerfully. "I made you this!" He held a drawing as high as his arm could.

Gaster reached the paper. Big title on top of it says:

FAMILY

It was a typical drawing from a child. A cartoonish family drawing. One big, bulk, square figure with a tiny circle on top of it with two huge curly horn. The square have the word DAD in it. There's slimmer square figure, smiling warmly, with the word MOM. There's tiny two small snowman-shaped circles with the word ME and the human's name.

Then there's this tall, slim figure wearing glasses. UNCLE GASTER.

 **"You actually see me as one of your family?"** Gaster muttering in surprise. Gaster never think to have a family of his own before. He may a close friend to Asgore, but he didn't think their kids would call him a family. That silly drawing unexpectedly giving him a weird, warm feeling.

"What?" Asriel stare dumbfounded.

 _"This is really impressive drawing."_ Gaster signed.

"Of course!" Asriel stroke under his nose proudly. "Ah, and my sibling made you one too! They dun wanna draw you at first but i keep telling em to do it then they really made it!"

Gaster flip the second paper. It was a drawing full of yellow colored flower, and a strange figure just drawn lazily on top of the flowers. A distorted face. Eyes looking funny. There's word below:

MR. SKOLOTON GUY

 _"Pretty color."_ Gaster signed, for lack of a better compliment.

Gaster folded the paper carefully, slipping them into his lab coat pocket. _"Thank you. These really cheer me up."_

"Really?" Asriel eyes widen dramatically. "You like it?"

_"Of course."_

"I know you are working on something very important." Said Asriel. "Dad says you and the other royal scientists work really hard to make us can go outside."

_"Right."_

"Can i help you too?"

Gaster almost made a chuckle. _"I'm afraid it will take you a few more years, young majesty."_

"But if you need help we might have an idea on how to-"

_This must be about his silly comic character and the laser blasters again. A child and his imagination._

_"No, no. Young majesty, i know you can but it is really dangerous for you right now. You can leave the matter to your father for now. And if you excuse me young majesty, i have something to do."_

"Oh alright then." He look a bit sad.

Gaster hesitates a moment before he pat Asriel's head. _"See you later."_

Asriel annoyed with the pat but he's giggling. "Okay! Good luck uncle Gaster."

Then the young prince dashing away, left his royal scientist in realization that he forgot all the ideas from his eureka moment.

 

...  
Gaster found them got more and more attached to him. Sometimes when Gaster about to leaving the Royal home, the Human and Asriel clutch on his feet or dragging him back to the room. But he was hired as a royal scientist _not a babysitter._ He told Asgore and Toriel to tell their children not to begging him playing hide and seek, because he have a whole lot of other pressing matters to handle. _Serious_ matters. But Asgore or Toriel ignore his protests because "You always have been working too hard. What's the harm in playing with children once a while?"

And knowing Asgore and Toriel, you can expect how often their 'once a while' mean.

It does not help that those two ask so many questions. Where monster or human come from, what they made of, what are SOUL, why is it so important... Gaster keep his answers short and vague, because he don't want Toriel angry at him if her kids know things that they shouldn't know yet. But much to Gaster's surprise, those two already know so much. _Too much, even._

"So the soul of human persist after death but soul of the monster doesn't?"

_"Where did you know that?"_

"Mother's got all sort of books!"

_"Did she let you two read them?"_

"Uhhh..." Asriel fidgeting. His index fingers twirl with each other. His small face grow pinkish with guilty expression.

"...I climb his shoulder to reach the book on top of the mom's bookcase." Said the human cheerfully. Their cheek is also pinkish but their's not a sign of a guilt.

Gaster does not know if he should give advice on _never reading that again_ because he know what it feels to have a great sense of curiousity. And he can't just say no to a kid to for learning and reading something.

 _"Glad you two really likes reading. You could be a scientist when you grow up. Like me."_ Gaster was desperately trying to change their topic.

"Uh... Actually i don't want to... but, but you are very great! always busy and working! but i mean... i wanna be like my dad when i grow up. He leads lots of people and make em smilin and he says he have lots of... uh, res- _responsibabiliti_."

_"Ah... of course."_

"I want to be a scientist." said the human. "I like trying new things."

"Yeah like mixing the water color and.. and knitting like mom do!" Says his brother. "But uncle Gaster have a lot of cooler things to do than that!"

"Like what."

"Hmmm... He can... uh... he can mix a lots of cooler water colors in his labs! He got ones that sparklin and shining in the dark. Right uncle Gaster?"

_"Right."_

"You just jealous. The new color made my drawings looks better."

"Am not. My cool monster drawing is still as good as your flower drawings."

Accompanied with the backsound of two kids bickering, Gaster mind currently calculating how late he is from the scientist's meeting discussing problems about barrier-destroyer project. Fortunately, the Queen's voice can be heard calling them from the end of the corridor. "Ah, there you are, my children."

"Mom!" Asriel let a high pitched call as he runs to her. The human following slowly behind him.

"Ah I'm sorry Gaster did they give you some trouble?"

"Am not, mom!" Asriel protests. Gaster only give a slight smile.

They exchange a small talk as usual. Toriel even invite him to dinner because she just made a Butterscotch Pie. Gaster only can imagine how tasty the food is before he explained that his colleagues are waiting for him in the lab for discussing about science-something-something. Toriel nods.

"See ya around Uncle Gastaaa-" Shouted the young prince as they all left.

Gaster realizes the human still there.

Their reddish-brown eyes looks at him brightly, curiously.

_"Do you still want to ask me another question?"_

They nod.

"Do you hate me?"

Gaster stares at them. Confusion hiding perfectly behind his stoic mask. _"What do you mean?"_

"Do you hate human?"

If they were some random monster kid, he could easily give scoff as the answer. But they are Asgore's kid. And a human. And a human that live as Asgore kid for a couple of years. Gaster found himself thinking seriously about this little child question. Flashes of war and dangerous, murderous human soldiers appears briefly into his mind.

But he realize it was the past. Humans can still changes. Monsters can still changes. As every monster believe, there was a still chance for everybody.

 _"No."_ Gaster finally signed, smiling slightly. _"Your father really glad to have you as a part of the family. You give them hope. You give hope to all of us monsters. A hope that someday, monster and human will live in harmony and peace. No more fights. No more war."_

The human lower his head so Gaster can't see their face.

"That's too bad. I guess you don't want to help us then." They said in a really weak whisper, but with strong sounds of disappointment. Slowly they lift their face towars him, revealing creepiest face a child can make, and said. "I really hate humans."

Before Gaster have a chance to react, the human already gone. Not suddenly, they just running away leaving him at unbelievable speed. The trails of their chuckles still echoed through the corridor.

Gaster narrows his eyes.

If you ever ask The Royal Scientist do he ever have a hope for humanity, he will said yes,

It was a good five minutes.

 

...  
But those words were the last Gaster heard from them. He decided to work even more harder with his current project, some kind of machine. The machine was his magical invention to blast high power of magic. It was his early experiment to broke down the barrier. It shaped similarly like his magic blasters. But this one is a solid machine -not a magic that can appear and disappear at will- also stronger, powered by Waterfall's crystals.

He even turn down -or more like, trying to avoid- stupid dinner invitations and tea parties from the royal family. As long as it wasn't a meeting about his job he won't come. He regrets this weeks later when Sprout, a fellow scientist, informing him that the human is in a state of deathly ill.

"There's no hope." They said. "The human can't be saved... "

_"How's the King?"_

They shook her head. "Looks mighty as usual but you can see how painful it is in his eyes."

Gaster feels guilty.

"As for the Queen, she didn't hide her sorrowful expression. but... Asriel. He looks as strong as his father. He insists to keep company of their sibling to the very end. It was... unbelievable sight... the prince did not cry at all... he looks so brave, he looks so determined."

Gaster expression changes slightly.

That day rolls into an evening. The thought of the children condition disturb his concentration for the machines he's been working on. Was Asgore -his close friend- okay? Was Toriel okay? How about the prince? He's too young for this...

After the fifth time Gaster electrocuted his fingers he decided to have a small coffe break.

Few silent minutes later, the loud screaming and running noises can be heard across the lab corridor. It startled Gaster. His elbow nudged the newfound mug full of hot coffee off the table, shattered on the ground. Scalding dark liquid splashes the tip of his coat.

 **"Why! Every time!"** Gaster hissed at the scattered mug pieces. **"That was -another- one of my favorite!"** He ready to scold the screaming guy as they appeared on the door. But it lost on his mind when Ficus head appears from behind the door, looks horror with shaky breath "Dr. Gaster! The Young Prince! The Human!"

_"What happened?!"_

Ficus gasped for air and after one long shaky breath he shot "The young prince... He absorbs the dying human soul and now have crossed the barrier!"

 **"What?!"** Gaster scrambled to the escalator.

As they arrived at the end of the New Home, the row of guards stand around the barrier. There's a lot of monster crowding around near the barrier. the royal family, row of guards, and some New Home monsters.

The queen kneel, crying hysterically. The King patted the queen shoulder. They all looked at the barrier helplessly. Gaster parted the crowd as he walks to the Queen and King.

_"Your majesty!"_

Asgore looks very pained in his eyes, but his voice still sounds stern. Strong as steel.

"We have tried my magic and every strength from the royal guardian but to no avail. You have to test your experiment, right here, right now!"

The experiment is not ready. But Gaster nods sharply. Then, Gaster signed quickly, accompanied by his ominous yelling: sounds like a menacing, incoherent growl.

**_"Sprout! Ficus! Go get the machine ready!"_ **

Asgore pointed to the royal guard "Clear this area from any civil monsters right now!"

"The machine is ready, Dr. Gaster!"

_"Please stand back your majesty!"_

Ficus turned the machine on. The machine ringing at high pitched sound as it charged the shining blue light, blasted right to the barrier. Gritting the barrier. The barrier rippled with swooshing, growling sound. The room filled with flashes of light, blue and white.

But the barrier still there.

_It's no use. It have to be a human SOUL. It's no use._

"Dr. Gaster, it's no use!"

 _I know_. **"Just. Keep. Firing."**

The machine is firing again, and again, and again.  
The machine grow redder and redder, overheated.

"Dr. Gaster, the machine is going to explode!" Ficus and Piece scrambled away from the machine.

Gaster act faster. He summon a blaster and zapped the machine down right before it could make a disaster. A flashes of light later and there only a burned machine left.

The blasting sound still echoed between the walls. Barrier still there, left unscratched. His experiment failed miserably in the horribly wrong time.

Asgore tap his paw on the Gaster's shoulder and says. "We can just wait now."

Disappointment and shame seeping inside Gaster's soul.

**_W.D. Gaster. Failed._ **

They wait. The room grew quiet but Toriel never stop sobbing. Two hours has passed since Asriel and the human walking out.

Suddenly, from between the light, a shadow appears. The Guard shielded the scientist and the majesties behind them. "Someone's coming!"

But when the shadow shaped itself, it appears as a young teenage Asriel carrying a child in his hand.

"They're back!" With happy tears, the Queen dashes straight to the figure, ignoring the guard and his husband yells.

Asriel looks at his mother and smiling. He stretched his hand forward. But before Toriel even reach him. His body crumbles to a spreading mist. Their sibling's corpse crashing down like a ragdoll. The dust swirling slowly with the wind, leaving behind two SOUL. The gray soul flickered shortly before it shatters with a sharp stinging noise, the other left intact --a bright, red, beating SOUL.

There was no sound. There was no movement. there was just a silent, painful, seemingly endless minutes where the monsters just stand there in a room shrouded fully by Asriel's dust, twinkling under the barrier's white light.

 

...  
A few weeks has passed.

Gaster standing alone in the edge of a cliff in Hotland. He still wearing a formal clothes, after attending a symbolic ceremony of departing Asriel and the human. The cigarette hanging just in the tip of his mouth. Smokes trailing fainltly. His hand holding something. Gifts from two children. Crumpled and ruined with hole-shaped burn marks. He stares at the wave of lava down below.

He toss the crumpled papers. They burns at the blink of an eye.

Gaster don't know what to do. He always know what to do if it comes to his work. But this left him with lots of feeling he can't understand. Gaster might not know how it feels to have a real family, a wife, a children, but now he can almost understand how painful it is, how unbearable it is, to lose a family. He's been living very close to the Royal Family. He realizes he _became_ a part of the Royal Family.

This was unfair.

This was unfair for Asgore. This was unfair for Toriel. And Asriel was just a kid. This was unfair for all monsters. And those human...

Gaster's gear of thinking stop for a while.

Is this because they give _that_ human a mercy? Because they believe human won't take anything from us again? Because they _hope_ in a human?

_They are all the same after all._

He cursing The First Human. He should already know.

That unsettling feeling... since he witness that child creepy face he knew something was wrong. So he tried to focus instead to his work -he was anticipating anything that might come.

But he didn't expect things happening this far.

"Gaster."

With trained reflect motion, he spit the cigarette to the lava in an instant.

Asgore was behind him. Two of his loyal, royal guard standby at the side of that Hotland cliff.

 _"Your Majesty."_ Gaster face toward him. _"It was a rare ocassion to see you in this place."_

"I was looking for you."

Asgore give him a pained expression.

"I want to apologize to you. I was a fool, Gaster. You already warns me. About them. About all the humans."

Gaster stares for a moment. _"Your Majesty, please. You know you do not need to apologize to me. It was not your fault. Besides... it's... my fault... my experiment is a failure... it can't break the barrier."_

"You did the best thing you can do."

 _My best thing was a **failure**_.

"Gaster," The King sighed. "Tell me, was it so wrong for me to believe in a human?"

_"We all believed in them, Your Majesty. We all believed they will bring back the hope we lost. After all the war between monsters and human it's only normal to have hope."_

Asgore give a faint smile. It quickly falters as he stares onto the land. Hotland was in the higher grounds. From where they stand, they can see twinkling cyan water at the distance. Asgore sighed. Very deeply.

"But now, the underground is losing hope. I shall not let the all monsters despair any longer. I have to do what has to be done. From now on, the human that falls here shall perish. But it will be for a good cause. For all of monster's hope. For all of monster's freedom. "

Gaster quickly nods. He actually doesn't want Asgore continue to talk about this matter if it pains him so much. Gaster is not some random peasant to give assurance for. Instead, it was his duty as a royal scientist, and a friend, to his king to give assurance that there will be a hope for another day. _"I will help you with anyway i can."_

Asgore give a short sigh. "That's all i need to told you. I have to go now."

Gaster was staring at Asgore's wide back. _I promise_ he thinks. _I will help you bring the hope back to the underground too. I will not let you down again. I will no-_

"Oh, and Gaster?" The King stopped.

"Yes, your Majesty?"

"I will not forgive you the _next_ time i catch you smoking." Then he left.

_I will not fail_

  
...

"I'm scared..."

That weak whimper send Gaster back from the flashback. He was trailing off while holding a handplate in one hand and a red blood drill on the other.

Gaster stares at 2-P firmly strapped to the table.  
He catches glimpses of Asgore's childrens in his mind. Their smiling faces, cheerful laughs, curiousity... Asgore's children have awfully similar manner to these children of his...

_I wonder if they meet... my sons with Asgore's children. They would befriend eachother easil-_

**_....what. did. i. just. thought?!_ **

_These **things** can not having any similar manner to **anyone.**_

_Asgore's children already **dead.**_

He remind himself it was because of Mercy, that makes the monsters lose hope. It was because of Mercy, they trapped here, again human taking everything from them. It was because of Mercy, such useless sentimentality, that send the future of the monster into the darkness. He _knew_ what best for monsterkind and he won't lose his chance again.

This, is what best for the future of monsters.

"I'm scared..." Cried 2-P in a voice almost like a whisper.

Sighing deeply and vaguely, he make his choice.

 **"...Good."** His hollow voice instantly send chill to the spines. **"You should be scared of me."**

The sound of drill start whirling violently, followed by blood-curdling scream from a poor, innocent youth.

**Author's Note:**

> [dont be so impressed w asriel's drawing, gaster. asriel found a human lying around and call em a family]
> 
> Proudly presents, UNCLE GASTER THE SKOLOTON GUY
> 
> My first fic. English is not a mother language of mine so please please tell me any silly mistakes or absurd wording i made. 
> 
> I am not actually sure if this count as Handplates AU because the skelebros is not the star of the story, but Gaster is based from the AU. I just like to think why Gaster is so troubled with feelings for his skelesons despite never have son himself is because they reminded him of Asgore's kids!  
> He thought Asgore and Toriel as his family so i guess its natural he will feel the same feeling about their kids.  
> so, there we are! 
> 
> nb: to cheer you up i made [a drawing for this](http://envandrare.tumblr.com/post/158814255495/a-lil-drawing-for-my-fic)


End file.
